


Checking On A Friend

by Very_Anxious_Bean



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Background Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Blushing, Caring, Caring Morality | Patton Sanders, Childhood Friends, Depression, Fluff, Forehead Touching, Friendship, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gen, High School, Human Morality | Patton Sanders, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), Human Sleep | Remy Sanders, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Light Angst, Male Friendship, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Good Friend, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Sweetheart, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Morality | Patton Sanders/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Out of Character, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, References to Depression, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep | Remy Sanders Needs a Hug, Swearing, Touch-Starved, Touch-Starved Sleep | Remy Sanders, Touching, Unrequited Crush, mildly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22098898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Very_Anxious_Bean/pseuds/Very_Anxious_Bean
Summary: Patton notices Remy's been acting a little unusual. He's concerned.
Relationships: Morality | Patton Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	Checking On A Friend

Patton is incredibly thankful he is able to go to the same high school as Remy, along with the same lunch hour and some classes they’re able to share. Patton always keeps an eye on Remy, as well as his other friends. He is also thankful he’s able to tell when something’s off with a friend. 

He’s been noticing Remy acting off; the teenager hasn’t been as sassy or sarcastic, he’s isolating himself, and his body language is more closed off than usual. In class, he doesn’t respond to the teachers with smart-ass comments, he just gives them an eyebrow raise and a frown. During lunch, he rarely joins the conversation the group has. 

It’s concerning. 

So, when he got home, he immediately called Remy. 

Remy picked up on the second call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Rem!” Patton forces a happy tone. 

“Hi? Why’d you call?” 

“... To check on a- a friend?” 

“Mmk. I’m fine.” 

“Are you sure?” Patton frowned. “You sound kinda down, and you’ve been acting… strange.” 

“The fuck do you mean ‘strange’? Girl, I’ve been acting this way since I was a babe.” 

“You’ve been more depressed, Remy,” Patton said bluntly. 

“ _What_?” Remy scoffed. “I don’t have depression-”

“Remy-” Patton winced when his mother called out for him, saying to help with dinner. “Rem, I’ve got to go. Mum says I’ve got to help with dinner-”

“It’s fine, Pat,” Remy said softly. “Go help her, I’ve got homework to do anyway.” He hung up. 

“You don’t do homework,” Patton muttered as he hung up too. 

Remy tossed his phone to a random place on his bed, flopping back onto his pile of pillows and blankets. 

“Depressed my ass,” he grumbled as he wrapped himself in blankets. He saw his backpack on his desk, open with papers sticking out of random journals. He glared at it. 

He’ll do homework during lunch. He always does that. It’s fine. 

He groaned when his father shouted that dinner was finished and to eat whenever he would get his “lazy ass out of bed”. Reasonable enough. 

When there was a knock on his bedroom door, Remy blinked open his eyes. 

He does not remember falling asleep. 

“Who is it?” Remy frowned. He blinked when Patton stepped into his room.

“Just me.” Patton smiled at Remy softly. 

“Girl, what’re you doing here?”

Patton hummed, sitting on Remy’s bed. “I walked.”

“I thought you had to help your mother with dinner? And eat?” 

“Rem, that was, like, five hours ago.” 

“ _What_?” Remy sat up, grabbing his phone. He groaned when he saw it was eight p.m. Patton had called at three or four. “Oh fuck.”

“Have you been asleep the whole time?” 

“Uh, no.” 

Patton narrowed his eyes at Remy, taking in the dishevelled hair, clothes, and crooked sunglasses. “Uh, yes. I’m getting you something to eat, I’ll be right back.” He got up and left the bedroom. 

Remy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He took off his sunglasses, blinking rapidly and gritting his teeth. After the risk of tears was none, he sat up straight. Well, as straight as he could since he’s really fucking gay.

He never noticed how lonely his room was. 

Patton came back with a plate of tacos and some water, handing the plate to Remy. “Eat.” 

Remy picked up a taco and started eating. He drank some of the water Patton handed to him, especially when he frowned down at him. 

It was silent for a moment. 

“Remy, how long have you been isolating yourself from other people?” Patton asked quietly. “Like, outside of school.” 

“I haven’t.” Remy got up and moved to his desk, sitting in the rolling chair near it. 

Patton frowned. “Yes, you have. I can tell.” His eyes lit up. “When was the last time you actually let someone touch you? I know you avoid everyone at the lunch table- including me- and teachers. And I know you and your dad aren’t… you guys don’t have a good connection.” 

Remy shrugged. “I remember Roman hugging me at lunch. That couldn’t have been too long ago.”

Patton’s shoulders dropped. “Remy, that was over a month ago.” 

“Well, maybe you weren’t there that day. I don’t really remember.” 

“Rem, I haven’t missed a day of school so far, I would remember. Humans need touch. We’re social creatures and babies can _die_ if they’re too touch starved.” Patton frowned at his friend. 

“Well, I guess it’s a great thing I’m not a newborn.” Remy started spinning in his chair. “Plus, I’m not touch-starved or whatever-” he gasped when the chair was suddenly stopped. He had to grab Patton’s forearms to keep from face-planting into his chest. 

“Remy, it’s not healthy to isolate yourself.”

Remy froze for a short while, surprised at how close Patton was to him, before slumping back into his chair. “I haven’t been isolating myself-”

“You avoid people as much as you can. You ignore everyone at lunch, you avoid social interaction, you’re obviously _more_ sleep-deprived. The family is-”

“Y’know we’re not all really a family, right?” Remy snapped. He looked down, chewing the inside of his cheek.

There was a pause. “Remy,” Patton said softly, “I can tell your depression is getting worse.”

“I don’t-” Remy paused when Patton rested his forehead on Remy’s. He glanced at Patton’s lips before looking into his eyes again. He knew there was a blush on his face and he had to force himself to not look at Patton’s lips again.

“Just- listen to me? Please?” Patton never broke eye contact. 

Remy blinked repeatedly. “Fine,” he mumbled. He could feel his face get warmer, even when Patton stood up straight. 

Patton smiled, gently grabbing Remy’s hands and tugging him out of his seat. He fell back on Remy’s bed, taking the other down with him. 

“Pat-” Remy squawked when he fell on top of the teenager. “I’m going to crush you!” 

“You’re lighter than a feather,” Patton reassured. He wrapped his arms around Remy, hugging the teenager close to him. “Relax.” 

Remy was tense at first, awkwardly resting in Patton’s arms. He sighed, shuffling a bit to hide his face in the juncture of Patton’s shoulder and neck. He relaxed as Patton played with his hair, focused on the way Patton touched him. 

Patton smiled lightly as he gently traced patterns on Remy’s back. He slipped his hand under Remy’s black shirt and continued the patterns, occasionally lightly scratching his back with his blunt nails. 

“If your hands don’t warm up soon, I’m calling the police,” Remy muttered. 

“Oh no, I’m so scared.” Patton chuckled. 

Remy sighed softly, trying to enjoy that Patton came over just to cuddle him. 

He really doesn't deserve it. Remy's probably annoying Patton too, or maybe he felt like he had to do this since they were friends from a young age. Maybe no one actually cares about Remy, which would be fair; he isn't the best person and he probably will end up hurting his friends. He should jump out of their lives, it would do more good than bad. No one actually cares about him that much.

Remy didn't notice he was crying until Patton noticed. 

"Rem, are you okay?" 

"Y- yeah. I'm fine." 

Yes, because the definition of fine is crying into a friend-who-you-actually-like-more-than-a-friend's shoulder while shaking like a chihuahua. 

"I don't want to talk about it," Remy forced out before Patton asked. "Just- I don't know," he whispered. 

"It's going to be okay." Patton held Remy tightly. "I'm here for you, take your time. Everything's okay." He rubbed Remy's back, whispering comforting words and occasionally wiping some tears away.

Eventually, Remy tired himself out and Patton knew when he fell asleep, able to tell by the way his breathing evened out and how the tight grip on his shirt went slack. He's always happy when he could help a friend relax, especially Remy. It was sometimes difficult to get Remy out of an episode but it didn't bother Patton. He just supported his friend as much as he could.

Patton continued tracing shapes on Remy’s back, still smiling. He’d be willing to help Remy no matter what. 

It was a very comforting thought for both of them.


End file.
